


let your heart be light

by scagnetism



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Babies, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Cuddling, Fluff, i pulled out all the stops, just...., like i basically only write fluff and this is fluffy even for me, louis' grandma makes an appearance, this is so fluffy, why tf not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-08 13:08:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5498105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scagnetism/pseuds/scagnetism
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When they crawled into bed that night, Louis cuddled into him with hazy eyes, whispering into his neck, “I’m so happy, Hazza,” and Harry will never get tired of that.</p><p>He’ll never get tired of being a part of this family and sharing Christmas with them.</p><p>Or, Christmas with the Tomlinson family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	let your heart be light

**Author's Note:**

> I decided we needed some Christmas fluff since you can never have too much Christmas fluff, can you?
> 
> Happy Holidays to all of you :) xx
> 
> Russian translation available [here](https://ficbook.net/readfic/3913124) thanks to the lovely [melroseq](http://melroseq.tumblr.com/)!

Harry always loves the utter chaos of the Tomlinson-Deakin house, but on Christmas morning, it’s especially magical.  Growing up in a relatively small family, he never knew the sounds of shrieks from a gaggle of excited little girls, ripping off wrapping paper and tearing it to shreds with cheerful gasps and eyes wide.  Of course he remembers what Gemma and his cousins were like when they were younger, but there were never so many little ones in his family, and everything about it makes his heart flutter.

His face hurts a little from smiling too much, something that's bound to happen to anyone who sets foot into a house that’s this filled with love.  Louis looks impossibly soft, more than happy to sit on the floor with his youngest siblings and help them open their toys.  They’re all so happy to see each other and Jay is happy to have a few extra pairs of hands in he and Louis.

Jay’s in the kitchen preparing dinner with Fizzy helping her out, and Harry’s planning to go in and offer his assistance, even though she’ll insist she doesn’t need more help.  He always does, always says it’s the least he can do since Jay gave him the best gift he could ever have.  The way she blushes has become a yearly tradition after his cheesy line, all warmth and sweetness, but for right now, he’s content to sit back and relax with the kids.

The girls had attached themselves to Louis the second he and Harry walked in the door two days ago, relishing in having their big brother back.  There was a happy reunion of hugs and kisses and overflowing love while Harry stood aside with a grin and drank it all in, then got the same welcome from the entire family moments later.  They’d curled up on the couch after dinner that night, where Phoebe begged Harry to braid her hair, so he pulled the hair tie off his wrist and did his best French braid, then she and Daisy snuggled around Louis while he held Doris in his lap, Ernest asleep in Harry’s, and watched _Love, Actually_ , cozy and warm and happy.  When they crawled into bed that night, Louis cuddled into him with hazy eyes, whispering into his neck, “I’m so happy, Hazza,” and Harry will never get tired of that.

He’ll never get tired of being a part of this family and sharing Christmas with them.

Harry’s fingers are a little sore from untangling the wires that held all the dolls Daisy and Phoebe got in their boxes, but they had kissed his cheeks and yelled, “thank you, Hazza!” when he opened them, and he’d pulled them in for the biggest hugs he could manage, saying, “you’re welcome, my lovelies!” before they scampered off with their dolls in hand.  Louis had looked over at him with an expression of undeniable love, reaching over the squeeze his fingers.

Harry fits.  He always will.

He’s currently got a sleeping Doris in his lap, reveling in the way her soft curls tickle his nose.  There’s a mug of steadily cooling hot chocolate that Jay spiked with some bourbon sitting behind him that both he and Louis have been taking sips of, pleasantly warm and just a little fuzzy around the edges.  He’s wearing the new slippers Louis got him with embroidered bananas on them, and everything is so, so good.

Louis has Ernest in his lap, and he’s tickling him like crazy, baby laughter filling the whole room.  He’s wrapped in the blue dressing gown Harry bought him – bringing out his ocean eyes even more – and he’s the picture of winter warmth and starlight on a gentle morning.  Lottie’s on the floor with Daisy and Phoebe, trying to help them set up a doll house, and they’ll most likely end up asking Harry for help since he’s always had a weird knack for that stuff, the go to guy ever since he properly joined the family five years ago.  But for now, it’s just soft murmuring from the girls.

“Hey,” Louis whispers as Ernest settles back against his chest.  He brushes a kiss over the baby's head, and Harry can’t help but think how that’ll be them one day, how good  _baby_  looks on him. 

“Hey,” Harry replies with a grin, pressing his thumb into Louis’ thigh gently.  “I love Christmas with your family.”

“’S good when they’re not all yelling at each other,” he teases, but his face is so soft, so relaxed and happy.

“I love it even then.  I’ve been here for that, too,” Harry reminds him, and the crinkles by Louis’ eyes grow deeper.  Doris makes a tiny noise, and Harry kisses her head, softly saying, “go back to sleep, bug. Not missing anything at all.”  She grabs two of his fingers with her small hand, whispering, “okay,” and Harry has never been more smitten.

Ernest’s eyes are closing, too, head lolling back against Louis’ chest.  “Sleepy, little lad?”  Louis runs his finger down Ernest’s tiny hand, and the boy coos softly.  Harry’s so, so in love.  “You’re so good with them,” Louis murmurs, eyes bright and impossibly fond.  He leans closer to Harry, pressing his lips against his skin. “Always have been.  I want a thousand one day.  Better buckle up, Haz.”

Harry laughs, butterflies forming in his stomach as he nods.  He turns to kiss Louis, and it’s all teeth – they’re both smiling so big they can hardly see – and Louis nips his bottom lip.  “Sounds good. Nothing I'd like more,” Harry replies, and that makes Louis’ grin even brighter.  There’s nothing he’s wanted more than to have a life with Louis, their own family, their own kids, and whenever he spends time with Louis’ family, he can’t help but think of just how wonderful it would be.

“Maybe in a couple years,” Louis says softly, and Harry nods, feeling goosebumps prick his skin.  “Can get our parenting experience in with these little monsters.”  His eyes are impossibly fond as he says it, kissing Ernest’s head.  The boy sleepily reaches up to pat at Louis’ face, hand recoiling away when he touches the scruff over Louis’ chin and making a displeased face, mumbling “owie,” causing Harry to laugh.  “Sorry, bud,” Louis tells him, grinning.

“Harryyyyyy,” comes Daisy’s voice, drawing out his name far longer than necessary.

“Daisyyyyy,” he mimics with a smile, and she sticks her tongue out at him as he does it back.  “What can I do for you, miss?”

“Can you help me and Lotts with the doll house, pretty please?”  She points to the toy that’s half set up behind her.  “She’s useless,” she whispers deliberately loudly.

Lottie huffs and rolls her eyes, but there’s a smile on her lips.  Her face is barren of makeup today, and she looks like the young teenager she is, far from the glamorous made-up girl they usually see.  She’s beautiful, Harry thinks, and he feels the same surge of protectiveness he knows Louis always does.  “Is that anyway to talk about the one that’s helping you?  Oi, Dais, get it together.”

Daisy rolls her eyes and Harry giggles, running a hand through his hair and putting it up in a bun as he nods.  “’Course I’ll help, love.”  He turns to Louis, kissing Doris’ head before handing her off.  “Can you handle both babies at once, babe?”

“Reckon I can, yeah, but I think it’s naptime for these little munchkins, innit?” he asks softly, kissing both their cheeks, and Doris sleepily puts her thumb in her mouth while Ernest lets out a soft “yah” noise.  “Think that’s a yes.”

He stands up with a twin on each hip, and Harry’s warm all over as he watches Louis nuzzle into Ernest’s soft hair before pressing kisses onto their heads.  “I’ll take them upstairs, then I can help you too, Dais,” he says, and she grins as Harry crawls on his knees across the floor to her, sidling up next to Lottie.

“I’ll deal with this right now,” Harry tells Lottie with a smile.  “Go check your phone and have a glass of wine like I know you want to.”

Her face flushes a light pink, but she nods, pulling Harry in for a one armed hug and giving him a chaste kiss on his cheek.  “Thanks, Haz.  This shit’s impossible.”  She tosses the instruction booklet at him before she stands up, brushing herself off and says to the twins, “Hey, little monsters, better not give Harry the same trouble you gave me or he won’t want to help you with this anymore!”

“I still will,” Harry promises, and Phoebe gets up to throw her arms around his neck and crawl into his lap.  “Now, let’s see what we have to do, sweetheart.”  He adjusts Phoebe in his lap, then flips open the book to see what he has to do.  Lottie’s right – it does look a lot harder than it should be, but he reads a few lines with furrowed brows until Phoebe taps his shoulder.  He looks up at her, eyebrows raised in question, and she smiles.

“Can me and Daisy do your hair?  Could we plait it?”

“Sure,” Harry answers, putting down the instruction booklet and pulling his hair out of the bun, sliding his hair tie back onto his wrist.  He shakes out his curls, running a hand through his hair.  “Make me look beautiful, dahlings,” he says in an exaggerated accent that has the two of them laughing.  “Don’t you want to finish this, though?”  He motions to the doll house, and the girls shake their heads.

“It’s beauty salon time now, Hazza!” Daisy exclaims with a smile.  “Pheebs, we can do his nails, too, with the kit Lottie got us!”

Phoebe drags her hands through Harry’s hair, and he doesn’t say anything even when she tugs a little too hard, just smiles up at her.  “You’re gonna look so pretty,” Phoebe assures him.  “Even though you’re pretty all the time, anyway.  Louis sure thinks so.”

“What do I think?” Louis asks, coming back into the room and plopping down next to Harry, immediately putting his hand on Harry’s thigh.  He feels grounded when Louis is around, a feeling he can’t explain.  “And oi, what happened to the doll house, loves?  Beauty shop time already?”

“You think Harry’s pretty,” Daisy says without looking up, busy going through the nail kit and figuring out what color to use.

“Oh, yes, I do.  Very pretty,” Louis agrees, and he leans in to kiss Harry, but Phoebe gently pushes him away before going back to playing with Harry’s hair.

“You can’t bother my customer!” she tells him, and Harry and Louis burst out laughing while Phoebe just shakes her head at the two of them.

“Sorry, Lou,” Harry replies with a shrug, grin tugging at his lips.  “Gotta get the best beauty salon treatment, don’t I?  Can’t have you interrupt.”

“Hair tie, please,” Phoebe says, holding her hand out.

“Yes, boss,” Harry answers, taking it off his wrist and handing it to her.  Louis looks over at him with an impossibly fond expression, face soft and grin wide as he pulls out his phone to take a picture.  Harry doesn’t even protest, only sticks his tongue out, and Louis grins as the shutter goes off and he pockets his phone.  He feels so warm and happy and _in love_ with both Louis and his wild family.

Daisy walks over to him a few moments later with a few nail polishes in her hand.  “Hold your hand out.”  Harry obliges, and after tapping her chin carefully a few times, she replies, “I think we can do blue!  Then it’ll match your ring!” she cheers, fingers brushing over his turquoise ring.

“That sounds like a great idea, sweet,” Harry tells her, and she grins.

“I’m beginning to think you like Harry better than me!” Louis exclaims, pushing his lips into a pout, and Harry giggles when both girls stop everything they’re doing to rush over and hug him.  In mere seconds, he’s letting out a soft _oof_ when he suddenly has a lapful of twins.

“Noooo, Louis, you’re our favorite older brother,” Phoebe assures, giving him a big hug.

Smacking a loud kiss to his cheek, Daisy adds, “And Harry is...our favorite other brother!”

“Can I tell you a secret?” Louis asks, voice soft as he flicks his eyes over to Harry.  The girls move closer to him, and he kisses each of their foreheads before saying, “He’s my favorite, too.”

*

Dinner is loud and wild and wonderful, just like Harry expected.  When Louis’ entire family comes over later in the afternoon, both he and Harry are showered with hugs and kisses, Louis’ grandmother sitting down with Harry while she asks to hear his favorite stories from the road.  She’s Harry’s favorite of Louis’ family though he’d never say it out loud, forever appreciative of how easily she welcomed him into her life, treating him like another grandchild, never like an outcast.

“When are you asking him to marry you, Louis?” she asks before dinner starts, while Louis is guiding her to the table, and his cheeks flush pink.  “Can you hurry it along?  You don’t want this lovely boy of yours to get away.  It’s been _five years_!”

“We’re still young, Nan, just like you,” Louis tells her, planting a kiss on her cheek, and she playfully bats his hand away.  “Don’t think he’ll be going anywhere anytime soon, though, yeah?”

There’s a sparkle in his eye as he looks over at Harry, and Harry grins at him.  “You’re a saint for putting up with Lou here, Harry dear,” she says, and Harry clamps a hand over his mouth to hold back his laughter as Louis pulls an offended face.

“’M not a saint, Nan,” Harry answers, shaking his head.  “Love him to death.”

She smiles and winks, grabbing his hand and murmuring, “Think you and Lou are a forever love.”

“I think we are, too,” Harry agrees, and he and Louis share a smile as he says it, heart fluttering.

The kids get a slightly crazy when dinner goes on a little too long and they’re just anxious to play with their toys, but it’s full of laughter and love and good memories.   Harry loves watching Louis with his family, when all his worries melt away, and the only thing he has to think about is what silly games the twins will rope him into playing.  The wine flows as easily as the conversation, and Harry’s pleasantly buzzed by the time it’s only the adults left at the table, save for an almost asleep Doris on his lap.

She’d refused to sit still for Louis, but the second Harry held her, she was calm.  Louis pretended to be annoyed, but Harry, and every other member of his family, saw right through it.  Louis’ hand is resting on Harry’s thigh under the table, a pleasant warmth, a feeling of safety.  They haven’t really said much to each other, just sitting around and absorbing the conversation around them.  It’s nice to _be_ , to not have to worry about being _on_ all the time, having simple moments with family.

“Hawee,” she says in her tiny voice, grabbing at his necklace.

“What, my love?” he asks her, gently taking her hand in his so she won’t break the chain, and he feels Louis’ eyes on them, sees his lips turn up almost imperceptibly, a look reserved only for Harry.

“Seep?” she asks quietly, eyes falling closed.

“Oh, is it bedtime, lovebug?” 

She nods, patting his face.  “Yah, Hawee.”

Jay’s refilling her wine glass, a light flush to her cheeks, and she makes eye contact with Harry across the table.  “You can take her up, Harry, if you don’t mind,” she tells him, and Harry shakes his head.

“Lou and I’ll go up.”

He’s a bit dizzy when he gets up, trying to find his footing with his head swimming quite nicely, as Louis stands up and joins him as they leave the table.  The family waves their goodbyes and blows kisses to Doris while she sleepily waves back before burying her face in Harry’s shirt. 

“Should check on the little lad, too,” Louis whispers as they near the living room, and he peeks into the living room as the pass by – Ernest still wide awake and playing on the floor with the younger twins while Lottie, a glass of wine in hand, and Fizzy half-supervise, half-watch TV.

“We’re doing fine, Lewis,” Fizzy assures with an eye roll, and Harry and Louis laugh.

Doris stirs slightly, and Harry bounces her a bit while Louis replies, “I know you’re more than capable.  I’m only checking in like the responsible, worrisome big brother I am.”

Lottie throws a pillow at his head, and he scampers away, laughter loud and head thrown back.  “Good aim,” Harry says to her with a wink, giving her a thumbs up, and Lottie laughs, returning the gesture, before Harry walks away, kissing Doris’ head.  She fists her hands in his shirt, and when he looks up, Louis is grinning at them.

“This feels proper domestic,” he says with a smile, leaning over to kiss Louis as they start up the stairs.  Louis’ arm is around his waist, and it’s burning through his shirt, right onto his skin, affection sinking right into him.

Harry looks to his right at the pictures of Louis and his sisters that line the staircase, moments frozen in time that stirs something within him he can’t put a name on.

“I love it,” Louis replies, squeezing a little tighter at Harry’s waist.  “I love you.”

“I love you, too, baby.”

He’s never felt lighter.

*

Later, Harry and Louis are curled up in Louis’ childhood bed, whispering to each other in the dark with their noses brushing.  “That’ll be our house someday, though, Lou,” Harry’s saying, reaching out to entwine his fingers with Louis’.  “We’ll have a house full of babies, and the two of us will be making Christmas dinner and having both of our families come over.”  His heart pounds faster against his chest at the thought of it, at the smile that’s making its way across Louis’ face.  “And pictures of our kids all down the hallway and our wedding pictures, and oh.”  He stops, feeling breathless as he pictures it all and still a little hazy from all the wine.

“I can’t wait, baby,” Louis tells him, kissing his fingers.  “Maybe I’ll have learned to make a proper gingerbread man without burning him by then.”

Harry rolls his eyes with a slight laugh, shaking his head.  “You’ll be in charge of the mash and the veg, babe.   You always make those perfectly.  And carve the roast, of course.”

Louis giggles, pressing a gentle kiss to his nose.  “Every time we come home, I feel like you’ve always been here, yeah?” he says, and it’s like all the air has left the room.  “Like.  Hazza, you just.  You fit so perfectly.  I can’t even remember Christmases without you – you’re the brightest light always.  I probably sound mad, but.”

Harry can feel his heart stuttering in his chest, wondering how even after five years, all of it can feel so new and so perfect and so _right_.  “No, like.  Same for me, Lou.  ‘S some fate shit, I think.”

“We’re meant to be,” he mumbles into Harry’s mouth before pushing his tongue against Harry’s teeth.  They kiss languidly for a bit, Louis tangling his hands in Harry’s curls, and he feels like his heart is too big for the room, like he could explode from the perfection.

“Me nan’s right about us being a forever thing,” Louis says, brushing his thumb over Harry’s ring finger, the implication making a shiver run down Harry’s spine. 

“Forever sounds perfect,” Harry yawns, feeling his eyes start to close.  “Love you.”

“Love you, baby.”

He doesn’t want to fall asleep yet, wants to stay in this moment forever, just looking at Louis and drinking him in, engraining into his memory how electrically charged the room feels, how perfect they are.   Tiredness is winning, though, and his eyes fall closed, nuzzling closer to Louis.  He remembers he has forever to do this, forever to look at this boy, and forever to fall in love with him over and over again.

He’s close to drifting off, almost asleep when he feels a kiss in his hair and a soft whisper of,  “Happy Christmas, Hazza.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are lovely! Come say hi on [tumblr](http://mytinylou.tumblr.com) if you'd like, and reblog the fic post [here](http://mytinylou.tumblr.com/post/135740657486/let-your-heart-be-light-by-scagnetism-word-count)!


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